With the view of protecting Ganga from pollution, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a complete ban on the use of plastic from Gomukh to Haridwar, along the river.
The ban will be effective from Feb.1, 2016.
Photo Credit: Barry Silver/Flickr
“There shall be complete prohibition on use of plastic – plastic carry bags/plastic plates, glasses, spoons, packages and allied items in all cities/towns falling on the river Ganga and its tributaries in Segment A Phase 1 (Gomukh to Haridwar). Under no circumstances, plastic carry bags of any thickness whatsoever would be permitted. The procurement, storing and sale of such plastic bags, plates, glasses, spoons etc. are hereby prohibited,” said a bench headed by NGT Chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar.
NGT has divided the work of cleaning Ganga into the following segments:
- Gomukh to Haridwar
- Haridwar to Kanpur
- Kanpur to border of Uttar Pradesh
- Border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand
- Border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal
Issuing several directions to keep the river pollution free, NGT stated that any hotel, dharamshala or ashram releasing domestic waste or sewage into river Ganga or any of its tributaries will face a penalty of Rs. 5,000 per day. Other than this, discharge of any municipal, construction, or demolition waste will also cost violators a compensation of Rs. 5,000.
Additionally, all polluting industries that have been set up without the consent of Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board will also be closed. According to the bench, mining on the river bed will be carried out in a regulated manner.
The NGT is a specialized body that was established in October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for proper disposal of cases related to environmental protection, conservation of forests, and other natural resources.
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